Magnetic keyswitch and related magnetic keyboard

ABSTRACT

A magnetic keyboard has a plurality of magnetic keyswitches, and each magnetic keyswitch include a base, a keycap, a supporting device, a magnetic component and a metal thin sheet. The base has at least one engaging structure and a hole. The supporting device has a first support, an end of the first support is movably connected to the engaging structure, and the other end of the first support is movably connected to the keycap. The first support has a magnet portion. The magnetic component is disposed on the base and functioned with the magnet portion to provide a recovering force to the keycap. The metal thin sheet is disposed under the base and has a bendable cantilever portion covering the hole. While the cantilever portion is bent by an external force, the magnetic component can be removed through the hole.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of and claims the benefitof U.S. non-provisional application Ser. No. 15/904,444 filed 2018 Feb.26.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a magnetic keyswitch and magnetickeyboard, and more particularly, to a magnetic keyswitch and magnetickeyboard with reused function and preferred structural stability andassembly strength.

2. Description of the Prior Art

A conventional magnetic keyswitch includes a base, a keycap, asupporting device, a magnetic component and a thin film. The supportingdevice is disposed between the base and the keycap, so that the keycapcan be moved relative to the base upwardly and downwardly. The magneticcomponent is disposed on the base and utilizes a magnet portion of thesupporting device to provide a recovering force to the keycap. The thinfilm is made of isolation material, such as Mylar, and disposed on thebase for protecting electronic components. An accommodating space insidethe magnetic keyswitch for the magnetic component and the magnet portionis limited because the conventional keyswitch has a trend of thin-typeddesign, so that a magnetic attraction force generated by the magneticcomponent and the magnet portion is weak and cannot provide sufficientoperational feel. In addition, the thin film is directly pasted on thebase; the thin film has to be cut off for removal of elements disposedinside the keyswitch, and the damaged thin film cannot be reused. Theconventional magnetic keyswitch spends extra cost of a new thin film inreplacement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a magnetic keyswitch and magnetickeyboard with reused function and preferred structural stability andassembly strength for solving above drawbacks.

According to the claimed invention, a magnetic keyswitch includes abase, a keycap, a supporting device, a magnetic component and a metalthin sheet. The base has at least one engaging structure and a hole. Thesupporting device has a first support. An end of the first support ismovably connected to the engaging structure, and the other end of thefirst support is movably connected to the keycap. The first support hasa magnet portion. The magnetic component is disposed on the base andfunctioned with the magnet portion to provide a recovering force to thekeycap. The metal thin sheet is disposed under the base and has abendable cantilever portion used to cover the hole. The magneticcomponent is removed through the hole while the cantilever portion isbent by an external force. An opening structure is formed on position ofthe metal thin sheet corresponding to the magnetic component, an end ofthe cantilever portion is connected to an inner wall of the openingstructure, and the other end of the cantilever portion is connected tothe other inner wall of the opening structure via a bridging portion.

According to the claimed invention, a magnetic keyboard includes a base,a plurality of magnetic keyswitches and a metal thin sheet. The base hasa plurality of engaging structures and a plurality of holes. Eachmagnetic keyswitch includes a keycap, a supporting device and a magneticcomponent. The supporting device has a first support. An end of thefirst support is movably connected to a corresponding engagingstructure, and the other end of the first support is movably connectedto the keycap. The first support has a magnet portion. The magneticcomponent is disposed on the base and functioned with the magnet portionto provide a recovering force to the keycap. An opening structure isformed on position of the metal thin sheet corresponding to the magneticcomponent, an end of the cantilever portion is connected to an innerwall of the opening structure, and the other end of the cantileverportion is connected to the other inner wall of the opening structurevia a bridging portion. The metal thin sheet is disposed under the baseand has a plurality of bendable cantilever portions used to cover theplurality of holes. The magnetic component is removed through acorresponding hole while one of the cantilever portions is bent by anexternal force.

The present invention forms the hole on the base to accommodate themagnetic component, and the cantilever portion can hold the magneticcomponent while the metal thin sheet is disposed by the base, so as toprevent the magnetic component from being separated from the base. Ifquality of the magnetic component is degraded, the user can manuallybend the cantilever portion to uncover the hole, so the magneticcomponent can be removed through the hole for replacement. After that,the cantilever portion can be recovered to the initial status to holdthe magnetic component, which means the metal thin sheet can be reusedin replacement of the magnetic component for economizing rework cost.Besides, the metal thin sheet can be optionally made of material withmagnetic permeability, so the metal thin sheet can directly attract themagnetic component to effectively increase the magnetic attraction forceof the magnetic component, and structural stability and assemblystrength of the thin-typed magnetic keyboard can be conspicuouslyadvanced.

These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt becomeobvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading thefollowing detailed description of the preferred embodiment that isillustrated in the various figures and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a magnetic keyboard according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded diagram of a magnetic keyswitch according to theembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an assembly diagram of the magnetic keyswitch according to theembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 respectively are diagrams of the magnetic keyswitch indifferent operational modes according to the embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of the magnetic keyswitch according to anotherembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Please refer to FIG. 1 to FIG. 5. FIG. 1 is a diagram of a magnetickeyboard 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2is an exploded diagram of a magnetic keyswitch 12 according to theembodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an assembly diagram ofthe magnetic keyswitch 12 according to the embodiment of the presentinvention. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 respectively are diagrams of the magnetickeyswitch 12 in different operational modes according to the embodimentof the present invention. The magnetic keyboard 10 can have a pluralityof keyswitches 12 according to design demand, and the plurality ofkeyswitches 12 is disposed on a base 14. A metal thin sheet 16 isdisposed under the base 14. The metal thin sheet 16 can have largedimensional design which corresponds to dimensions of the base 14, andthe metal thin sheet 16 is directly disposed under the base 14. Further,the metal thin sheet 16 may be small dimensional design corresponding tothe magnetic keyswitch 12, which means each magnetic keyswitch 12 hasthe related metal thin sheet 16, or an assembly of several magnetickeyswitches 12 share the related metal thin sheet 16 with large sizes.

The magnetic keyswitch 12 can mainly include a base 14, a membrane 15, ametal thin sheet 16, a keycap 18, a supporting device 20 and a magneticcomponent 22. A first engaging structure 24, a second engaging structure26 and a hole 28 are formed on the base 14. The supporting device 20 caninclude a first support 30 and a second support 32. An end of the firstsupport 30 is movably connected to the first engaging structure 24, andthe other end of the first support 30 is movably connected to the keycap18. A magnet portion 34 is disposed on a middle of the first support 30.An end of the second support 32 is movably connected to the secondengaging structure 26, and the other end of the second support 32 ismovably connected to the keycap 18. The magnetic component 22 isconnected to the base 14 through the hole 28; for example, two ends ofthe magnetic component 22 are engaged with inner walls of the hole 28.The magnetic component 22 is used to attract the magnet portion 34disposed on the first support 30. Therefore, keycap 18 can be movedrelative to the base 14 by the supporting device 20, and provide arecovering force to the keycap 18 via magnetic effect between themagnetic component 22 and the magnet portion 34.

The metal thin sheet 16 is disposed under the base 14, and has abendable cantilever portion 36. The cantilever portion 36 can align withor be partly overlapped with the hole 28, and further can touch or abutagainst the magnetic component 22. The metal thin sheet 16 can be madeof several kinds of material. For example, the metal thin sheet 16 canbe made of SUS304 material, and the magnetic component 22 is held bymaterial rigidity of the metal thin sheet 16. For replacement of themagnetic component 22, the cantilever portion 36 is bent and themagnetic component 22 can be easily removed through the hole 28, asshown in FIG. 4. After the magnetic component 22 is put into the base14, the cantilever portion 36 can be recovered to an initial status byan external force, as shown in FIG. 5. In addition, the metal thin sheet16 made of SUS304 material not only can provide rework function asmentioned above, but also can increase a magnetic attraction force ofthe magnetic component 22 applied to the magnet portion 34 foroptimizing operational feel of the magnetic keyswitch 12.

In the embodiment of the present invention, an opening structure 38 canbe formed on position of the metal thin sheet 16 corresponding to themagnetic component 22. An end 361 of the cantilever portion 36 isconnected to an inner wall of the opening structure 38, and the otherend 362 of the cantilever portion 36 is a free end. The free end doesnot contact the inner wall of the opening structure 38. The user canpull the free end 362 of the cantilever portion 36 to easily bend thecantilever portion 36, so the magnetic component 22 can be removedaccordingly. The cantilever portion of the metal thin sheet 16 is notlimited to the above-mentioned embodiment.

Please refer to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a diagram of the magnetic keyswitch12′ according to another embodiment of the present invention. In theembodiment, elements having the same numerals as ones of theabove-mentioned embodiment have the same structures and functions, and adetailed description is omitted herein for simplicity. The magnetickeyswitch 12′ includes the opening structure 38 formed on the positionof the metal thin sheet 16 corresponding to the magnetic component 22;an end 361′ of the cantilever portion 36′ is connected to the inner wallof the opening structure 38, and the other end 362′ of the cantileverportion 36′ is connected to the other inner wall of the openingstructure 38 via a bridging portion 40. Contact area between thebridging portion 40 and the end 362′ of the cantilever portion 36′ orbetween the bridging portion 40 and the inner wall of the openingstructure 38 is smaller than a width of the cantilever portion 36′, sothat connection about the contact area can be easily damaged by theexternal force to bend the cantilever portion 36′ for replacement of themagnetic component 22.

In conclusion, the present invention forms the hole on the base toaccommodate the magnetic component, and the cantilever portion can holdthe magnetic component while the metal thin sheet is disposed by thebase, so as to prevent the magnetic component from being separated fromthe base. If quality of the magnetic component is degraded, the user canmanually bend the cantilever portion to uncover the hole, so themagnetic component can be removed through the hole for replacement.After that, the cantilever portion can be recovered to the initialstatus to hold the magnetic component, which means the metal thin sheetcan be reused in replacement of the magnetic component for economizingrework cost. Besides, the metal thin sheet can be optionally made ofmaterial with magnetic permeability, so the metal thin sheet candirectly attract the magnetic component to effectively increase themagnetic attraction force of the magnetic component, and structuralstability and assembly strength of the thin-typed magnetic keyboard canbe conspicuously advanced.

Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerousmodifications and alterations of the device and method may be made whileretaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the abovedisclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and boundsof the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A magnetic keyswitch, comprising: a base havingat least one engaging structure and a hole; a keycap; a supportingdevice having a first support, an end of the first support being movablyconnected to the engaging structure and the other end of the firstsupport being movably connected to the keycap, the first support havinga magnet portion; a magnetic component disposed on the base andfunctioned with the magnet portion to provide a recovering force to thekeycap; and a metal thin sheet disposed under the base and having abendable cantilever portion used to cover the hole, the magneticcomponent being removed through the hole while the cantilever portion isbent by an external force; wherein an opening structure is formed onposition of the metal thin sheet corresponding to the magneticcomponent, an end of the cantilever portion is connected to an innerwall of the opening structure, and the other end of the cantileverportion is connected to the other inner wall of the opening structurevia a bridging portion.
 2. A magnetic keyboard, comprising: a basehaving a plurality of engaging structures and a plurality of holes; aplurality of magnetic keyswitches, each magnetic key switch comprising:a keycap; a supporting device having a first support, an end of thefirst support being movably connected to a corresponding engagingstructure and the other end of the first support being movably connectedto the keycap, the first support having a magnet portion; and a magneticcomponent disposed on the base and functioned with the magnet portion toprovide a recovering force to the keycap, wherein an opening structureis formed on position of the metal thin sheet corresponding to themagnetic component, an end of the cantilever portion is connected to aninner wall of the opening structure, and the other end of the cantileverportion is connected to the other inner wall of the opening structurevia a bridging portion; and a metal thin sheet disposed under the baseand having a plurality of bendable cantilever portions used to cover theplurality of holes, the magnetic component being removed through acorresponding hole while one of the cantilever portions is bent by anexternal force.